On My Side
by NickyM96
Summary: Scully learns something new about Deputy Director Kersh that causes her to see him in a new light.


Title - On My Side  
Author - Nicky  
Rating - G  
Classification - Vignette  
Spoilers - up to Nothing Important Happened Today II  
Keywords - Mulder/Scully romance implied  
Summary - Scully learns something new about Deputy Director  
Kersh that causes her to see him in a new light.  
  
Disclaimer - Most of these characters aren't mine. You know  
that. And I know that. They're property of someone else and used  
without permission strictly for entertainment purposes.  
  
  
I roll my eyes and huff impatiently for probably the millionth   
time during the conversation. Monica Reyes was going on and on   
about something I really didn't want to take part in. She was as   
determined to make me do as I was not to.  
  
"But it's mandatory, Dana," I hear her say for time number million   
and one. "Deputy Director Kersh says . . . "  
  
"You know, I've never really cared before what the Deputy Director   
says. Why should I start now?" I'm starting to whine, but I   
don't care. The last thing I want to do is go to some party   
thrown by Kerch just because he says so. That man has had too   
much say in my life already. "Besides. I don't have a sitter for   
William."  
  
"Don't use him as an excuse," she says, catching on to my game.   
"The invitation says this is an informal get together. A cookout   
type of thing. And it also says families are strongly encouraged   
to attend as well. That means William can come."  
  
"Monica, I don't want that man to be able to use me or my son in   
this campaign in good will or whatever it is. You know the only   
reason why he's throwing this party is to try and placate the   
masses. Morale is so low in the FBI right now that he *has* to do   
something to show the Attorney General we're all not a bunch of   
gun toting lunatics."  
  
"It'll be fun," she says. I laugh. Yeah right. Fun and Deputy   
Director Kersh are not things I associate together.  
  
"Free food," she offers. I groan in frustration. She was really   
getting desperate. I almost give in just to get her off my case.   
But then I finally hear the magic words come out of her mouth.  
  
"I'll babysit William every Friday night for a month so that you   
can sleep in on Saturdays," she says.  
  
"A whole month? You've got yourself a deal," I agree with a   
smile.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
The party was that weekend. So by Saturday morning, I was about   
ready to back out again. I haven't had too many run ins with   
Kersh since Mulder's been gone. But seeing him will only remind   
me of why I'm raising my son without his father. I don't know if   
I can handle it. The knock at the door tells me that it's too late   
to back out now. I walk across the living room to open it.  
  
"Hi Dana," Monica says cheerfully. She steps into the apartment   
while I go get William's bottles from the refrigerator to pack in   
his back. When I return, she has the baby and is showing him off   
to one of the most gorgeous men I think I've ever had the pleasure   
of laying my eyes on.  
  
"Hello," I say, tossing her a quizzical glare. Apparently she   
learned a thing or two about my 'looks' from Mulder, because she   
answers the question before I can even ask it.  
  
"This is Jerrod. A new friend," she explains, giving me a glare   
of her own in return. A look that said, 'I'll tell you all about   
him later.' From the blush on both their cheeks, I could tell   
that it was going to be some story.  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Jerrod," I say, offering my hand to him.   
"I'm Dana. And this is William."  
  
"Nice to meet you too, Dana," he says with a silky, smooth voice   
to match his creamy milk chocolate complexion and deep dark   
chocolate eyes.   
  
"Jerrod, can you take the stroller and baby bag to the car?"   
Monica asks sweetly. "Dana and I will be down in a second." He   
flashes one last heart melting grin before obeying her every   
command.  
  
"Wow," I gasp after leaves. "That's some guy you found, Monica.   
He's very . . . "  
  
"I think hot is the word you're looking for," she giggles. I   
laugh with her, nodding enthusiastically.  
  
"I don't think I've ever literally drooled over a guy before," I   
gush.  
  
"Hey, Mulder's no slouch," Monica reminds me.  
  
"Oh, I know," I smile, blushing at how attractive I've always   
found him. "He definitely lives up to his name."  
  
"No kidding!" she agrees whole heartedly. A little *too* whole   
heartedly.  
  
"Monica! You better keep your hands on your own man and leave   
mine alone," I warn her playfully.  
  
"Yeah, and you keep your hands off of mine. Don't make me have to   
tell Mulder on you." We fall into another fit of giggles before I   
grab William's seat and we walk out the door.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
The party actually wasn't too bad. Most of the agents invited   
were curious about William, but they didn't ask anything rude or   
make any comments about Mulder. I had long ago stopped caring   
what others said, but I was still a little reluctant about putting   
myself into certain situations where I would possibly have to deal   
with that. After a while, I find a nice quiet spot for ourselves   
to relax a bit and just watch the crowd. But William wasn't   
having any of that. He starts squiriming around in the stroller,   
gearing up for what I've come to recognize as his 'change me' cry.  
  
"What's the matter, Baby Boy?" I ask in a ridiculously high   
squeaky voice that seems to always calm him. I stick my finger   
inside his diaper and confirm my suspicions that he was wet. "You   
need a new diaper? Is that what it is, my love?" I turn around   
quickly when I hear someone chuckle behind me. It turns out to be   
the deputy director's wife.  
  
"I'm sorry," she says, still laughing. "You just don't hear many   
FBI agents using that tone of voice."  
  
"He seems to like it," I smile tightly, not sure how to act around   
this woman. "Mrs. Kersh, do you have somewhere I can change him?"  
  
"Of course, Dear," she says kindly. "I'll show you." She bends   
down to get William's bag for me and I follow her into the house.   
  
"You can leave the stroller right here. I have a changing area   
set up upstairs."  
  
I nod and lift William from the stroller and follow her up the   
stairs.  
  
"You have a lovely home, Mrs. Kersh," I tell her, trying to break   
the silence. She had a gentle smile, but I was still a little   
suspicious considering who her husband was.  
  
"Thank you, Agent Scully."  
  
I raise an eyebrow at her.  
  
"You know who I am?" I ask her, feeling myself unconsciously hold   
William tighter. He lets out a small cry of protest and I loosen   
up on my grasp of him a little. "How do you know who I am? I   
didn't realize I was one of your husband's favorite agents." We   
stop in front of a room and she opens the door, ushering me   
inside.   
  
"Here," she says, pulling William from me. "Why don't I take   
him."   
  
I almost resist, but I hear her soft, soothing words towards   
William and change my mind. She lays him on the changing table   
that's been set up and begins to unbutton his pants.  
  
"Hand me the wipes," she orders gently. She quickly and   
proficiently changes the diaper, lifting the happy and dry baby   
into her arms when she's done. She pulls him close to her chest   
and takes a whiff of his baby fresh hair. "You are so precious,"   
she coos. "I can see why your daddy had such a hard time leaving   
you."  
  
I gasp and she looks up to meet my eyes.  
  
"How do you know us?" I ask her again. My voice was shaking, like   
I was about to cry, but I didn't care.   
  
"He looks so much like Fox," she tells me, seemingly ignoring my   
questions and tears. She gives him a kiss on the forehead before   
placing him back into my arms.  
  
"How do you know Mulder?" I'm getting the feeling that I'm   
wasting my breath with these questions. She just stares at me,   
not saying anything. And not answering what I've been asking for   
the past few minutes.  
  
"He'll be back," she finally says. "He loves you. And he loves   
William."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"When he left, he came here. Alvin and I hid him for two days   
before it was safe enough for him to leave town," she explains.  
  
"What?" is all I can manage to gasp.   
  
"He cried and cried that first day he was here. He sounded like a   
man who's heart just got ripped out. In a way, I guess it had."  
  
My mouth opens and closes a few times, wordless sounds seeping   
from between my lips.  
  
"Agent Scully, I know what you must think about my husband. He's   
tough. He has to be. But he doesn't mean Fox any harm. He was   
only trying to help him. To help all three of you."  
  
"Really? He never wanted to help us before. Why now?" I say in a   
mean, sarcastic tone that I instantly regret. The look on her   
face turns sad, haunted even. I feel bad for what I said and try   
to apologize. "Look, I'm sorry . . ."  
  
"No," she interrupts me. "I understand. Alvin's told me about   
the . . . difficulties he's had getting along with you and your   
supporters. But believe me when I say that his intentions where   
your family is concerned are honorable."  
  
I nod, not really sure I believe her. I mean I believe that *she*   
believes what she's saying, that she believes in her husband. But   
I don't know if I'll ever be able to. That theory very quickly   
gets tested when the deputy director himself comes walking into   
the room.  
  
"Agent Scully," he nods in my direction. "I'm glad you were able   
to make it." He looks at me and can see the anger and confusion   
flashing in my eyes. He looks next to his wife and can see the   
sadness in hers. "What's going on in here?"  
  
Right then, my little angel decides he no longer wanted to be left   
out of the conversation. He starts flailing his arms and babbling   
incessantly, wondering in his little baby brain why he wasn't the   
center of attention. We all chuckle lightly at him.  
  
"What was that, Little Guy? You getting tired of being left out?"   
Kersh says, surprising me with his gentle tone. He reaches out   
for William, glancing up at me for permission. "May I?"  
  
"If he'll go to you," I tell him, with a nonchalant shrug trying   
to play it cool on the outside. But inside, my heart was pounding   
and I began to visually scan the room for danger.   
  
But to my surprise, William eagerly reaches towards the man,   
smiling brightly at him. To my even bigger surprise, Deputy   
Director Kersh smiles back and starts, and I kid you not, to coo   
at my son. He looks back at me with a smile that I can only   
describe as grateful before imitating his wife's earlier actions.   
He hugs William to his chest and takes a deep breath, enjoying his   
fresh baby scent.  
  
"How are the two of you doing? Really?" Kersh asks me, the   
tenderness still evident in his voice.  
  
"We're fine, Sir," I answer him, still confused by this completely   
different Alvin Kersh than the one I'm used to seeing and promptly   
running from.   
  
"Agent Mulder warned me you'd say that," he grins. He gives   
William one more hug before handing him back to me. "Honestly,   
how are you?"  
  
"We miss him, Sir. Very much. We want him home," I tell him, not   
really sure why I'm being so forthcoming with him. He just nods   
his head, as if he totally understands what I'm saying.  
  
"Agent Scully, I know you don't have any reason to trust me or to   
believe me, but if there was any other way . . . I just don't   
think a man should be separated from his son. Ever." He looks to   
his wife and his face soon reflects the sad, haunted image she   
wore a few minutes ago. He grabs her hand and squeezes it for   
quick second, making a vital connection that seems to have kept   
them going all of these years.  
  
"Well ladies, I think I'm heading back to my party now," he   
announces, suddenly breaking the oppressing silence of the room   
that even William seemed to respect. He turns to leave and we   
watch him go. I'm too much in shock to say anything.  
  
"We should be going back, too," I hear Mrs. Kersh say, although I   
think it takes a few minutes for the words to make any sense in my   
brain.  
  
"Mrs. Kersh," I say, stopping her from walking out the door. I   
don't want to ask, but I have to know. "I don't mean to be nosy,   
but do you and the Deputy Director have any . . . " But then I   
see that lost look in her eyes again, and I figure I'm better off   
not knowing. "Nevermind. It's really none of my business."  
  
"We called him AJ. Alvin Jr.," she says, her voice hoarse with   
the unshed tears from years passed. He was just three when he   
died. He was the light of my husband's light. That light died   
with the baby. I didn't think I'd ever see that light again. But   
I did. Just now when he was holding William." A small smile   
spreads across her face.  
  
"I'm sorry." I know it sounds lame, but that's all I can think to   
say.   
  
"Now you know why he's doing this. So that one day, you and Agent   
Mulder will hopefully have more than three years to enjoy with   
your son."  
  
I smile at her and nod. Because I did understand. And for the   
first time ever, I was grateful for Deputy Director Kersh.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
I convince Monica and Jerrod to leave well before the end of the   
party. William was getting cranky and ready for a nap in his own   
crib. They didn't seem to mind too much, though. I think they   
had plans on a more private soiree anyway. On the way out, see   
Kersh and his wife chatting with some other guests. I stop by   
there on the way to the car.  
  
"Sir, I just wanted to thank you for inviting William and I. We   
had a really nice time," I say honestly. "In fact, I think   
William would love to come back and visit. He seems to have made   
a few new friends." William adds his input and lets out a happy   
squeal, reaching a chubby hand out to the Deputy Director. "I may   
have just found another babysitter, if you think you two are up   
for it."  
  
"Anytime, Agent Scully," Kersh smiles. "Maybe I'll be able to   
keep *this* Mulder under control."  
  
"Don't count on that, Sir," I say with a laugh. "He's going to be   
just like his daddy."  
  
I hug my sweet baby and kiss his plump cheek before saying our   
last good-byes. This day hasn't turned out like anything I   
expected. It's nice to know there are people on my side. I never   
would have expected Deputy Director Kersh to be one of those   
people. But I'm glad I was proved wrong.  
  
The End.  
  
Feedback please!!!  
  
Thanks :-) 


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